Sailing SV Delosvideo
Rethinking Our Propulsion System 🤔 Aluminum Catamaran Build Pt. 80
31 July 2026 · 29 min · 244K views
What this video covers
The crew of the custom-built aluminum catamaran SV Delos is removing an electromagnetic clutch from the port-side hybrid propulsion system after determining the component is unsuitable for marine use.4:04 The clutch, intended to allow the diesel engine to act as a generator by disconnecting the propeller shaft, suffered from persistent alignment issues and lacked the necessary bearing support and sealing for a marine environment.3:14 The crew is replacing the clutch with a longer propeller shaft and installing a custom-fabricated mechanical brake system to stop the shaft when the electric motor is in use.4:39 The propulsion setup utilizes a Bruton's H6 Eco prop, chosen for its compatibility with electric motors and hydro-generation.12:08 Additionally, the electrical system incorporates lithium iron phosphate batteries, which the crew considers safe due to their chemistry, and a redundant digital switching system with manual breaker backups.22:55 The crew relies on a "main success scenario" design philosophy, prioritizing system convenience while maintaining manual fallbacks for all critical functions.27:35
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